1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for conveying and sorting piece goods and to a method for sorting piece goods. The sorting can be carried out for the purpose of ejecting piece goods. This can be carried to one side or also to both sides of a conveying path.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sorting devices with constrained displacement of piece goods have been made known by WO 2005/012146 A1 and the parallel EP 1 648 803 B1, by WO 02/26602 A2 and the parallel EP 1 373 109 B1 as well as the German translation DE 601 21 052 T2 and by WO 01/83342 and the parallel EP 1 283 810 B1 as well as the German translation DE 601 13 098 T2, in which a plurality of slats connected together to form an endless track and a plurality of push shoes are provided, each of the push shoes being displaceable along at least one slat of the slats in order to move an item of piece goods on a conveyor surface, which is formed by the slats, laterally or transversely to the main conveying direction of the slats. Diverting arrangements in the form of diverting rails displace the push shoes laterally so as to laterally displace objects on a conveyor surface, which is defined by an upper run of the endless track. The diverting rails extend diagonally under the conveyor surface. Each push shoe contains a transmission subassembly for transmission to one of the deflecting rails when an electromagnetic actuator is actuated. The transmission subassembly includes a pilot element which consists of a magnetically permeable membrane such as, for example, an iron alloy or other ferromagnetic substance. The pilot element is selectively attracted and moved by an actuator in horizontal direction parallel to the conveyor surface, which involves an electromagnet arranged at the start of a diverting guide track. The transmission subassembly mechanically interacts with a deflecting subassembly in away which has the effect that the entire transmission subassembly follows the pilot element in the direction of the deflecting rail and ultimately contacts this, in which case the deflection of the push shoe, together with the laterally driving transmission subassembly, ends at the deflecting rail, the deflection having been initiated magnetically. In addition, the transmission subassembly and the deflecting subassembly are configured in such a way that if the actuator does not attract the pilot element the laterally driving transmission subassembly is so configured that it moves in a forward movement in correspondence with the movement direction of the conveyor surface. Deflecting subassembly and transmission subassembly form a kind of diverter. These constructions are complicated and expensive.
A device for conveying piece goods has become known from DE 10 2014 102 873 A1. This device is similarly a conveyor, which is equipped with constrained displacement shoes, for sorting piece goods. A diverter with a pivot tongue rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation arranged perpendicularly to the conveyor surface is there arranged in the region of a transition of a guide track, which extends parallel to the track conveying direction, to the diverting guide track extending diagonally with respect thereto.
The pivot tongue can be pivoted by means of a rotary magnet from a conveying setting, in which the push shoes during circulation of the endless track conveyor can pass the diverter—without deflection of the movement in the track conveying direction—in a horizontal direction parallel to the conveyor surface, into a deflection setting, in which the push shoes during circulation of the endless conveyor track are deflected by way of the respective deflecting and guide roller thereof for a movement along the diverting guide track extending diagonally to the track conveying direction.
Provided in the region of the said transition is a transfer element with comparatively narrow guide tracks serving for guidance and deflection of the deflecting and guidance roller, which is also termed small roll and which is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation to be rotatable on a bearing pin extending perpendicularly to the conveyor surface below the upper run.
A guide roller for the push shoe is rotatably mounted on the same bearing pin, but between the said small roll and the upper run, to be rotatable about the said axis of rotation. This guide roller, which has a significantly greater outer diameter than the small roll, serves the purpose of guiding the push shoe, during circulation of the endless conveyor track in the track conveying direction, along the guide track, which extends parallel to the conveying direction, and along the diverting guide track, which extends diagonally with respect to the track conveying direction. The guide track and the diverting guide track are each formed with an upwardly open U profile. The horizontal inner spacing between the respective two U profile limbs of the respective U profile is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide roller so that the guide roller is guided with a small play in the U profile of the guide track or the diverting guide track.
The diversion technology known from the foregoing prior art and the guide tracks and diverting guide tracks relating thereto are extremely complicated and accordingly also susceptible to fault.